500T vs. Duncan Distortion?

[Rex_Rocker]

I think this has been discussed before, but I don't think there has been much of a detailed comparison between both.

I may or may not be considering a Duncan Distortion for some project... or not. But whatever. I wonder if anyone has direclty A/B'd them, preferrably in the same guitar.

I've had both. I've loved both. But it has been years since I last owned a Distortion, or at least the SH-6B. I don't find any clips comparing both.

I'm well aware both are very similar, but there is no way these two sound the same based on specs alone. The Gibson is 15K with triple Ceramic magnets. It's also always F-spaced. The Duncan Distortion is 16.6K if it's regular spaced, but I think the Duncan Trembucker spacing is closer to the spacing on the 500T which would make the DD 17.4K. I can't say for sure, but I remember reading both are 44AWG wire?

So that would make the Distortion be much more overwound than the 500T, but also, it would have less Ceramic in there. So what difference would this cause?

I know we're splitting hairs here, but let's be real. We're all pickup nerds discussing the difference between the Black Winter, the Distortion, the Dokkenbucker, and the Hunter, which are all different takes on a very similar recipee. I'm sure there is a much difference between a DD and a 500T as there is between a BW and a 500T, right?

So... what is your first hand experience?

Thanks!

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Anyone?

 

[Aceman]

OK - I always have a dog in this hunt.

To my ears, there is not enough difference that I give a doodlely damn*. I would never replace a 500T in any guitar it came in. Specs be damned. They are close enough to "same" that I just do not care.

I will however, mention this comment that may (as in also may not) describe them best. I think it went like this; The 500T is a Distortion that is tweaked for leads, and the Distortion is a 500T that is slightly better for Rhythm.

Or something like that. I can agree with that. But like I said, flip a coin. I think they are a hair on a flea's @$$ apart and nothing a tweak of an amp knob couldn't change the other way.

*From Dr. Ken Brewer, FSU, regarding statistical tests that have technically different results yet result in no practical differences.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Yeah, I'd certainly classify them within the same league of pickups in the grand scheme of things. But I may be getting either for a guitar that has something else in there (maybe), so I'm not replacing either with the other.

But by your description, I think I might be better off with the Distortion, then, as rhythm is the only thing that I play.

 

[Aceman]

I think they are both crunchy as hell and would be awesome metal rhythm machines, or good down tuned.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Anyone else?

 

[Masta' C]

You know how when you see "twins" one is always just slightly better looking than the other?

That's the DD and the 500T...Problem is, not everyone will agree on which is the better looking one!

 

[Rex_Rocker]

THrowing another contender to the mix... Nazgul. Maybe?

 

[RanchManSandy]

why the heck would Gibson f-space a humbucker when TOMs generally have narrow string spacing?

 

[Rex_Rocker]

why the heck would Gibson f-space a humbucker when TOMs generally have narrow string spacing?

Because Nashville Tune-O's are wider spaced than vintage ABR-1's. It's been like that since the 70's.

Have you not had or seen a Tune-O-Matic from like the past 50 years? Duncan regular spaced pickups and Gibson historic pickups don't line up with the strings at the bridge. All of the Metric Epi-style bridges are like that too. It's only the ABR-1's that are narrow-spaced. Hell, my Graphtech Tune-O replacement is the same spacing as my Mexican's Fender bridge.

 

[RanchManSandy]

Because Nashville Tune-O's are wider spaced than vintage ABR-1's. It's been like that since the 70's.

Have you not had or seen a Tune-O-Matic from like the past 50 years? Duncan regular spaced pickups and Gibson historic pickups don't line up with the strings at the bridge. All of the Metric Epi-style bridges are like that too. It's only the ABR-1's that are narrow-spaced. Hell, my Graphtech Tune-O replacement is the same spacing as my Mexican's Fender bridge.

no, I can't say I have ever seen a TOM with vintage Strat spacing. are there really TOMs out there at ~2.2" (55/56mm)?

every single TOM I clicked on at Stew Mac just now (including the Gibson models) reported string spacing of either 2-1/32" (not even 52mm) or 2-1/16" (not even 54mm). afaik, mexi fenders are typically 2-1/16", and I would never use a trembucker for something that narrow. 2-1/8" at the very least like a Floyd, which even still isn't vintage Strat wide.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

no, I can't say I have ever seen a TOM with vintage Strat spacing. are there really TOMs out there at ~2.2" (55/56mm)?

every single TOM I clicked on at Stew Mac just now (including the Gibson models) reported string spacing of either 2-1/32" (not even 52mm) or 2-1/16" (not even 54mm). afaik, mexi fenders are typically 2-1/16", and I would never use a trembucker for something that narrow. 2-1/8" at the very least like a Floyd, which even still isn't vintage Strat wide.

You gotta remember Trembucker is not the same spacing as F-spaced. F-spaced (DiMarzio) is narrower than Duncan Trembucker. Gibson Nashvilles and Epiphones and LTD's and most other Metric Tune-O's line up perfectly with DiMarzio F-spaced humbuckers. Floyds are slightly wider than DiMarzio F-spacing.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

And the 500T is actually spaced just a tad wide for the curren Gibson API Nashville bridge with the top-adjustable posts.

 

[RanchManSandy]

And the 500T is actually spaced just a tad wide for the curren Gibson API Nashville bridge with the top-adjustable posts.

which is what spacing, exactly?

to be clear, i would not use a f-spaced hb nor a trembucker for anything under 2-1/8" string spacing. it'd be silly.

 

[RanchManSandy]

for reference, my '93 LP Studio Lite came with a 500T out of the box and its TOM was no wider than any other I've played

 

[Rex_Rocker]

which is what spacing, exactly?

to be clear, i would not use a f-spaced hb nor a trembucker for anything under 2-1/8" string spacing. it'd be silly.

F-Spaced DiMarzio lines up PERFECTLY with the current Gibson Nashville bridges as well as ESP/LTD, Schecter, and whoever uses the Metric style Nashville bridges. Nothing silly about it lining up perfectly.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

for reference, my '93 LP Studio Lite came with a 500T out of the box and its TOM was no wider than any other I've played

Must be a recent thing. I know that pickup has been around for like 25 years.

I do have a 498T from like 98 or 99, and it's the exact same spacing as my 500T from two years ago.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

This is the 500T with my Graphtech Resomax bridge. As you can see, it lines up. The neck pickup is a non-F-Spaced Evolution neck. As you can see, it's slightly narrow even for the neck position.

The spacing of the Graphtech bridge is 52.5 mm, same as the MIM Fender trem. I'll give you the spacing on the stock bridge in a sec.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Looks like the stock bridge is 51.5-ish mm string spacing.

The Gotoh Tune-O-Matic with the wider Metric posts I have is 52.5 mm as well.

DiMarzio F-spacing is 51 mm.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Honestly, I've always thought it's silly that DiMarzio even offers non-F-spaced for most of their pickup lineup.

Like... who's ever going to go ahead and say, "yeah, I'm totally going to drop in a Crunch Lab on the neck position of my historic Gibson with the narrow bridge!"